UFC 221 set for February 11 at Perth Arena

UFC makes Western Australian debut

Ultimate Fighting Championships makes its highly anticipated debut in Western Australia, the promotion formally announced on Tuesday. The UFC 221 pay-per-view event held at Perth Arena on Sunday February 11 is expected to feature “the best local and international mixed martial artists”.

“I’ve always loved Australia,” said UFC President Dana White. “The fans and energy are fantastic but most importantly we seem to have some of the greatest fights there. My job is to put on the best fights in the world and this is a place that never disappoints. I look forward to our first UFC event in Perth next year and hope to entertain the fans once again.”

Earlier this year the new Labor Government in Western Australian rescinded the 2013 ban on the MMA octagon (fenced safety enclosure). The change brought WA into line with the rest of the country as well as other jurisdictions around the world.

Interim middleweight champion and Australia’s first ever title holder Robert Whittaker said that “this isn’t just huge news for UFC, but for the sport of MMA in Western Australia. Finally, MMA can be competed nation-wide in the field of play specifically designed for the sport.”

“Anything can happen between now and Sunday, February 11. With that said, fighting on home soil is always a dream come true and I’d love to unify the UFC middleweight title here in Australia. My next stop is New York City to be Octagon side for UFC 217 – let’s see what happens in that main event between Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre.”

The match ups are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. We will have more information as soon as it becomes available.

Parviz Iskenderov is a Muay Thai fighter from Perth, Australia. He is a former National champion of Belarus, and also a finalist of IFMA European Cup. He is an editor and journalist at FIGHTMAG. Iskenderov is also the WKN (World Kickboxing Network) international coordinator for Australia.

FIGHTMAG is an Australian online magazine that covers Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts internationally. FIGHTMAG exists only to create excellent journalism in the field of combat sports.